Elements of Style

They're back! And I couldn't be happier. I'd written them off as a one-off, but Neon Neon are back, back, back.  Hooray.  This time around, they're biographising (hey, did I just invent a word?) Giangiacomo Feltrinelli.  Okay, I'll admit I was unaware of him, but he was apparently an Italian publisher and activist. If that's not enough to tempt you to give the new album a spin, it features Sabrina among its guest stars.  Yes, that Sabrina.

Here's the new single, less than 2 minutes long:


And here's a link to where you can download it for free, thanks to the nice people at Rolling Stone.

Rhumble's Trip

Congratulations to the BBC for perpetrating a great April Fool joke today.  I awoke this morning to be told that a shonky 20-year old single by PJ and Duncan was a new entry at Number One in the charts. Hilarious, right up there with the Spaghetti Trees of Switzerland and the Isle of San Seriffe.  Bwah, hah, hah!  Hang on a second..... What did you just say? It's not a joke? 

Thornton's Fudge

There were few revelations in the BBC's  documentary about Nile Rodgers on Friday night, but it's always entertaining to hear the man talking, and even better to hear others talking about him (and Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson).  And the sight of Johnny Marr on stage in Montreux jamming with what's left of Chic reminds one that for all Morrissey's considerable talents, you'd much prefer to spend time with Marr.  I mean, can you really picture Morrissey yucking it up with a disco group?

I say there were few revelations, but there was one, for me at least.  And that was that Fonzi Thornton, the backing singer (David Bowie, Luther Vandross, Diana Ross etc) that for 30 years of looking at credits on LP sleeves I had assumed was female (and Thornton often sang in the company of BJ Nelson and Tawatha Agee, who definitely are female), is actually a bloke.

The Reich Stuff

A very enjoyable interview with Steve Reich here, conducted by the genial Alexis Petridis.   I always forget the fact, but it's salutary to be reminded that he and Philip Glass once ran a removal company.

On the subject of Reich anecdotes, I love the story that used to be told about The House of Love.  It's probably apocryphal; I really hope it isn't.  Apparently when Guy Chadwick and Terry Bickers of the aforementioned combo were rising stars (c. 1988), they let on that they were big fans of Steve Reich.  Their manager got wind of this, and told them he could probably arrange for the duo to meet the great man.  Excited, they turned up at the agreed place at the agreed time hoping to be introduced to the serialist maestro.  In an atmosphere of hushed awe and reverence, their manager opened the door to allow the hapless pair to meet their hero, and in walked..... afternoon zoo radio "personality" and Weird Al-lookalike, Steve Wright.

RIP Cleotha Staples 1934-2013

Mounting excitement

Jobson

Sir Edmund Hillary

In similar vein, I was astonished to see that former Skids frontman Richard Jobson had taken time out from directing low-budget (and rather good) Scottish flicks to become the first man to conquer Mount Everest some 60 years ago.  Good work.

Lookey Likeys

Weatherall

Moore

Have curmudgeonly comics supremo Alan Moore and only marginally less curmudgeonly record spinnage supremo Andrew Weatherall ever been seen in the same room together? Could they by any chance be related, etc.....